clibke



(No Medal.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

M. CLARKE.

SAFETY ENVELOP. No. 561,762. Patented June 9, 1896.

INVENTUH 2 Sheets-3heet 2 M. CLARKE. SAFETY ENVELOP.

(No Model.)

Patent-66311119 9, 1896.

S H WW 0 N T B m m V. W A V: B

UNITED STATES PATENT FFlCE.

MARY CLARKE, OF NEXV YORK, N. Y.

SAFETY-ENVELO P.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 561,762, dated June 9, 1896.

Application filed July 15, 1895. fierial No. 556,028. (No model.)

To all 1071 0722, it may concern:

Be it known that I, hIARY CLARKE, of New York city, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new an d Improved Safety-Envelop, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in safety-envelops, such as are especially designed. for mailing purposes; and the object of the invention is to provide an envelop of a simple and inexpensive character which shall be adapted to effectually guard against tampering with letters or other closed papers while in transit, the envelop being so constructedas to indicate at once whether it has been tampered with.

The novel features of the invention will be carefully defined in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is aview showing the form of the blank of which the envelop embodying my improvements is made. Fig. 2 is a view showin g the blank having its end flaps fold ed and their engaging devices locked together. Fig. 3 is a view showing the envelop having its side flaps, bottom flap, and sealing-flap folded and their engaging devices locked together. Fig. l is a view similar to Fig; 1, showing a blank from which is made a modified form of the envelop embodying my improvements, wherein the sealing-flap is provided with engaging devices for looking it not only to the bottom flap but also to the end flaps; and Fig. is a view showing the envelop as constructed from a blank such that shown in Fig. 4:, the side and bottom flaps not being locked to the sealing-flap.

Referring, primarily, to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, 1 represents the body of the envelop, having end flaps and 3 at its opposite sides or ends, the flap 3 being provided with a slit or openin g i, cut or otherwise formed therein to perinit the insertion of a tongue 5, formed. at the extremity of the opposite end flap 2, said tongue 5 being provided at its extremity with rear\vardly-directed locking ears or arms 6, adapted, when the tongue is passed through the slit or opening 4, to engage the edges of said slit and prevent the removal of said tongue 5, whereby the end flaps 2 and 3 are securely locked together.

'7 represents the bottom flap of the envelop, which is sealed down over the end flaps 2 and 3 after the same have been folded and locked together, for which purpose said bottom flap is gummed at its edges, as indicated at S in the drawings, and said bottom flap is also provided with a slit or opening 9 cut in it and adapted to receive a tongue 11, formed on the sealingiiap 10 of the envelop, said tongue being substantially similar to the tongue 5 of the end flap 2 and being provided with loclcing ears or arms 12, similar to the ears 6 of tongue 5.

The tongue 11 is formed by cuts extending inward from the edges of the sealing-flap 10, whereby it will be seen that said tongue does not project beyond the edges of the flap, and consequently is not liable to be caught and torn off before the envelop is sealed.

The edges of the sealing-flap 10 are pro vided on each side of the tongue 11 with series of V-shaped parallel cuts 15 arranged along them, these cuts extending almost to the edges of the flap, and said edges are also gummed, as indicated at 16 in Figs. 1 and 2, in order that they may be scaled down after the sealing-flap has been locked to the bottom flap of the envelop, and to prevent the disengagement of the tongue 11 from the bottom flap after the envelop has been closed, the outer face of said tongue and of its looking ears or arms 12 are gummed, so that they will adhere to the bottom flap when they come in contact therewith.

To strengthen the tongue 11 and prevent it from being accidentally torn when the envelop is closed, I prefer to provide a reinforcingstrip 13 on the back thereof, as seen in Fig. 3, and I also prefer to form the slit in the bottom flap 7, through which said tongue passes, with a central indentation 14, adapted to show whether the tongue 11 is broken or not at the slit 9.

As above described, the envelop is extremely simple and inexpensive and affords a secure and safe means for inclosing papers and articles, since even though the mucilage or glue used for sealing the flaps be loosened, as by steaming or wetting the paper, the flaps cannot be separated without breaking the tongues velop has been tampered with. Should an 5 and 11, and thereby showing that the enattempt be made to lift the sealing-flap 10, it is also evident that said flap would be quickly torn and damaged at its gummed edges by reason of the series of V-shaped slits 15.

The construction shown in Figs. 4 and 5 is very similar to that above described except that the sealing-flap is unprovided with the series of V- shaped slits in its gummed edge and is adapted to be locked not only to the bottom flap 7 but also to the end flaps 2 and 3, for which purpose each of said end flaps is provided with a slit or opening 18, formed in its inner portion, and said slits are adapted to be engaged by tongues 19, formed on the opposite ends of the sealing-flap 1'0 and provided with lockin g ears or arms in a manner similar to the tongues 5 and 11, above re ferred to.

From the above description of my improved envelop it will be evident that some change may be made in the form and arrangement herein shown without material departure from the principles and spirit of my invention, and for this reason I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise construction of the device herein set forth. For example, in some cases the gummed edge of the sealing-flap may be provided with letters or characters of any kind or form printed thereon in gelatin and adapted to be destroyed in wetting the paper or in steaming.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. An envelop having end flaps, a bottom flap and a sealing-flap, said end flaps and bottom flap being secured together and the bottom flap being provided with a slit, the sealing-flap being formed at its central portion With cuts extending inward from its edges whereby a tongue is formed at the central portion thereof, said tongue having its end even with the edge of the sealing-flap and having at its opposite sides rearwardly-projecting locking-ears, the edges of the sealingfiap on opposite sides of said central tongue being gummed and adapted to be scaled down on the bottom flap, and said tongue being adapted when the sealing-flap is closed to pass through the slit in the bottom flap to bring said ears into engagement with the edges of the said slit, substantially as set forth.

2. An envelop, comprising a body having 3 end flaps, a bottom flap and a sealing-flap, the end flaps and bottom flap being secured together, the bottom flap having a slit and the sealing-flap being provided at its central part with cuts extending inward from its edges to form a tongue, the said tongue having its end even with the edge of the sealing-flap, and having rearwardly-projecting locking-ears at its opposite side, the portions of the sealing-- flap on opposite sides of said central tongue being gummed and provided with cuts separated from the edges of the sealing-flap, and extending inward, said side portions of the sealing-flap being adapted to be sealed down on the bottom flap, and said tongue being adapted to pass through the slit in the bottom flap, to bring said locking-ears into engagement with the edges of said slit, substantially as set forth.

MARY CLARKE. \Vitnesses:

J OHN CLARKE, STANTON CURRY. 

